January TopBox Privé: Clinique!

This moth TopBox introduced their new Privé Boxes: a box dedicated to one brand. The brand itself was a surprise until the beloved tube showed up in our mailboxes! This month's brand was : Clinique! I personally always eye the Clinique products in the stores, but have never caved in and bought them. I have very sensitive skin and would hate to waste that kind of money on a product that I may only use once. 

Here's what was in my TopBox!

• A 1.6g Sample of Clinique ColourSurge Eye Shadow Duo in 02 like mink 
• A 60 mLSample of Clinique Eye Make-Up Solvent
• A 60 mL Sample of Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 (Dry/Combination Skin)
• A 7mL Sample of Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus (wrinkle & UV damage corrector)

These sample sizes are very generous and will give me a great feel for the brand! I am so happy! With this month's box! Next month they have 3 different Privé Boxes that you can put in for or you can choose to have the regular mixture of goodies! I only put my name in for the Benefit Privé Box, if I get it I'll be very happy, if I don't I love the surprise of the regular TopBox, so for me it's a win, win. :)

Julep Mystery Wristlet!

Over the holidays, Julep had a different deal on for 12 days. On day 8 they had a mystery wristlet as their special deal of the day. Being a huge fan of the mystery boxes, of course I caved! In each wristlet you were guaranteed an essential cuticle oil and a value of $75 - $200!

Here is what I received:

Essential Cuticle Oil $18

Charlotte $14

Brandt $14

Hailee $14

TOTAL PRODUCT VALUE: $60

Even though I definitely got the low end value, I'm still quite happy. The wristlet is a bit smaller than I expected, but it is made of great quality material and is exactly what I needed. I love the essential cuticle oil, so it's nice to have a spare for when I run out of the one I'm currently using. As for the colours, I love the suede finish Julep polishes, so I was very excited to see Hailee inside of my wristlet. I have been wanting Brandt for a while, and skipped out on the Trina Turk month, so I was equally happy to see Brant in my wristlet! Charlotte is a nice colour, and don't have another soft purple, so she's also a welcome addition. All in all, I'm quite happy with this purchase...I'm still on cloud 9 with my Gold Julep Maven Box though!

If you're not a Julep Maven, I highly recommend joining today! I think you can still use the codes 2815043, PENNY or JULEPVIP to receive your intro box for only 1 cent plus shipping!

January Julep Maven GOLDEN Box!

My  Julep Maven Box came today & to my surprise I received a GOLDEN BOX!!! Yes the box really is gold! I had such a hectic day that I didn't even notice, I was just happy to get my Julep box in the mail! This month's theme was neons & nudes. I decided to switch to the It Girl box, because I fell in love with  Amelia. To be honest I was more into the nudes than the neons, but now that I have the neon colours they are very pretty & wearable! 

Here is a picture of all my goods!

Inside I received the following:

A sheet of the new "Swatch Me!" Stickers (20 stickers)

3 Neon Hair Ties

A $25 Gift Card to Havaianas

7 Polishes! @ $14 each = $98

(Nikki, Nina, Amelia, Fiona, Madison, Bette & Bethany)

TOTAL VALUE: OVER $ 123!!!

Pretty amazing!! I am so excited! I actually got this month's box with Jules, so this cost me absolutely nothing! I know it's greedy, but I'm kind of kicking myself that I didn't choose a different style because I really would like to try the product included in this month's boxes: Hand & Cuticle Stick. I am such a sucker for the products that Julep makes! Truth be told, I think I love them more than the polish itself! I'm still waiting for my Mystery Wristlet, hopefully it comes in later this week! Although, I can't imagine it topping this box! 

If you're not a Julep Maven, I highly recommend joining today! I think you can still use the codes 2815043, PENNY or JULEPVIP to receive your intro box for only 1 cent!

Thank-you Julep!!!

Julep: New Years Eve Mystery Box!

Over the holidays, I caved in and in addition to the monthly January Julep Maven Box, I also bought a NYE Mystery box and  Mystery Clutch. I have not yet received the clutch, but my NYE Box came in a couple of days ago. This Mystery Box guaranteed a minimum $100 value!

Here's what I received:

Best Pedi Creme Ever - $22

Boho Glam Lengthening Mascara - $24

5 Polishes @ $14 each -  $70

(Mystery Glitter, Lauren, Annie, Cindy & Dendrie) 

1 Emery Board ~ Unknown Value

2 Glow On Age Defying Hand Brightener Packets ~ $1.52

3 One-Step Polish Remover Pads ~ $3

TOTAL VALUE: OVER $120.52 !!

Overall, I'm very happy this this box, I definitely got my money's worth! I love all of the polishes that I received  I only received one polish duplicate (Lauren), but I love the colour and actually only have half of my bottle left! I also really like the Pedi Creme, it's amazing! I still have half a bottle left from another box, but I'm sure it'll get used! I'm not every excited about the mascara, because it's brown. However, a lot of people rave about how good it is, so I'll definitely try it out!

GlossyBox Ambassador Mail

Before cancelling my subscription to GlossyBox, I signed up to be a GlossyBox Ambassador. My role is basically to promote the company, via my blog and word or mouth. I cancelled because the price was increasing and I finally got off of TopBox's wait list, however I am now thinking of switching back to GlossyBox because my two TopBoxes didn't really impress me.

Anyway! I received my GlossyBox Ambassador package earlier this week and was thrilled & surprised! Here's what was inside!

1. A FULL SIZE (300g) Sebastian Professionals Re-Shaper : brushable, humidity resistant strong hold hairspray
2. A FULL SIZE (300g) Vitabath Plus for Dry Skin Moisturizing Bath & Shower Gel
3. A FULL SIZE Nicole by O.P.I. Nail Polish, in the shade Still Into Pink
4. A FULL SIZE Zoya Nail Polish, in the shade Ziv
5. A Make-Up Bag
6. A 50mL sample of Elin Bianco Treatment Mask, Enriched with Organic Palm Kernal Oil
7. The GlossyBox Ambassador Handbook & Business Cards

The products didn't come in the typical pink box, but they are all awesome products that I'm looking forward to trying out! After January's TopBox I think I'll be switching back to Glossy Box - the December box looked amazing!

GlossyBox is a monthly beauty box subscription that offers a mixture of drug store brand and high end beauty products - they often offer full size products too! If you want to try GlossyBox, use the code GLOSSY50 to save 10% on your first box!

Winter Luxe Box

My winter Luxe Box has arrived! Since last time was so great, I decided to get the annual membership! This subscription is now quarterly and you can choose the plan that works best for you, the prices are as follows:

• Quarterly (pay as-you-go) membership plan: $26 every 3 months and a total of 1 Luxe Box per plan cycle.
• Semi-annual membership plan: $50 every 6 months, which equals to $25 per season and a total of 2 Luxe Boxes per plan cycle.
• Annual membership plan: $96 every 12 months, which equals to $24 per season and a total of 4 Luxe Boxes per plan cycle.

Here is a photo of what I received:

A 60mL sample of Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Defining Lotion

1. A 15g sample of B. Kamins BB Cream
2. A 6g sample of B. Kamins Eye Cream
3. A 4mL sample of B. Kamins Lip Balm
4. A Loose Button Kabuki Brush
5. A pair of Loose Button Faux Eye Lashes
6. A 3mL sample of Kerastase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide
7. A 15mL sample of Calvin Klein Euphoria eau de parfum spray

My box arrived a bit later than others, and I was really excited to see what was inside. I absolutely loved the Fall Luxe Box and couldn't wait to see what my Winter Box had inside! The first thing I saw was a ncie quality draw string bag with the Loose Button symbol on it. It is so nice! I love it! As for the products in my box, I wasn't as impressed as I was with the Fall Box. In anticipation, I made the mistake of watching some youtube videos and reading some blogs and kind of got my hopes up, I really wanted the Essie nail polish or the eyeco skinny mascara, however I didn't get either, oh well! Maybe next time!

I'm not entirely sure why I received the Marc Anthony product because my hair is pin straight, so I guess I'll be gifting that product (too bad too because it was the largest product in my box!). I've never worn false eyelashes in my life, so I'm not thrilled about them either. I received a different Keratase sample in my Fall Luxe Box and loved it, so I am looking forward to trying out that product. The Kalvin Clein sample isn't something that I would buy myself, but it is really nice, a great size & has a spray top (yay!)  And who doesn't need another Kabuki brush?! I am probably most disappointed that there were, not one, but three B. Kamins products in my box. I received two products from this company in a previous GlossyBox and wasn't impressed with them. I guess I'll give the company another shot, but I'm definitely not impressed to get 3 products from the same company in the same box.

All in all, I'm okay with my Winter box, but it definitely wasn't great compared to my Fall box. I wish there were more make-up products and less cream and hair products. Fingers crossed for my Spring Box!

BzzAgent: Burt's Bees Intense Hydration

A couple of week ago I was accepted to take part in my second BzzAgent Campaign! I was so excited to received my BzzKit, especially because it would contain beauty products! I was a bit disappointed when I first received my BzzKit because I thought that I was missing products, but I think the Canadian boxes differ from the American ones.

Before this campaign, I had only used Burt's Bees lip products and a few of their hand care products (cuticle cream & hand slave), I had never tried their face care products. I love that their products are natural! I have extremely dry, sensitive skin (& eczema!) and Burt's Bees products never irritate my skin! - which is rare! 

First, I tried the Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser and WOW! I cannot get over how good it smells! I'm not one to use cleanser everyday - partly due to my dry skin and partly due to time - ever since trying this cleanser I have made time because it smells soooo good! I actually look forward to using it! It did not make my skin irritated at all and left it feels very hydrated, which is a tough feat, especially in this dry, winter weather! I honestly don't have a single negative thing to say about the cleanser. I am completely surprised and amazed with how much I love it!

Secondly, I tried the Intense Hydration Night Cream. It is very hydrating and leaves my skin feeling very moisturized. I'm not as much of a fan of the scent and it's VERY thick! A little goes a long way with this cream! It didn't irritate my skin at all and I do like it, t me though, it is comparable to other night creams that I have tried.

In my kit, I also received samples of the night cream that I am working on giving out over the holidays!

All in all, I do love this line and have found a great new cleanser! I am so happy to have been chosen to participate in this campaign!

If you're interested in purchasing Burt's Bees Intense Hydration products, go to burtsbees.ca and use the promo code intensebbfan for 20% off and free shipping on orders over $40!

December TopBox!

I received my December TopBox two days ago and I have to say that I am pretty disappointed. After loving 3 of the 4 products included in my November box, this month I sadly love none. Also, I saw a lot of people got a special holiday wrapped tube, I didn't even get the option for the non-eco friendly version.

Here is was was inside.

I received the following items:

1. A 5mL sample of Chloé eau de parfum  - $ 7.67  

2. A sample of Ferro Cosmetics blush times 3 (cheeks, eyes, lips) in Bashful- unsure

3. A 20mL sample of Goldwell Sleek Perfection - $ 4.19

4. Two 3mL samples of Kellett Skincare Moisturizing Gel (Canadian Company) - $ 11.40

TOTAL VALUE: Over $ 23.26 

Overall, I am not very happy with with this box. I have only heard of one of these brands before (Chloé) and never really took much interest in it. However, since I have not tried any of these products or brands I do look forward to trying them out.

On the back of the packaging of the Chloé perfume, it said FREE sample. If I can get the sample free in a store, why am I paying to have it in my TopBox? I do like the cute bottle it came in, but would much prefer a spray top. It has a nice floral scent to it , but I'm not much for floral  When I visited the Kellett site, it said that the product that was sent to me was for adults with acne, I do not have acne, I have very dry, sensitive skin. So, I'm not sure why I received this product. I probably won't be using much of the Ferro product because it seems like it will be messy and there isn't a lot of product to try out. I will probably throw the Goldwell product in my over night bag and take it with me when I'm on the run. This is the only product that I am kind of excited to try out.

I hope TopBox steps up their game. I'm going to give the box a few more months and if the boxes continue to disappoint I'm going to cancel my subscription.

November Topbox - My 1st!

I was so excited to receive my first Topbox this month! I haven't been overly impressed with GlossyBox lately and finally am off of Topbox's wait list, so I decided to make the switch! Both boxes have increased their prices, but Topbox is still way more affordable!

I received box 8, and this is what was inside!

I received the following items:

1. A 3g sample of Benefit They're Real! Mascara  - $ 10.24

2. A FULL SIZE China Glaze Nail Polish from their On Safari Collection in I Herd That - $ 10.00

3. A 9.24g sample of a new product called Cuccio Naturale Butter Blend in pomegranate & fig - $ 0.73

4. A 5mL sample of Roberto Cavalli perfume - $8.00

TOTAL VALUE: $ 28.97

Overall, I am very happy with with this box! The brands are actually luxury and not drug store and I haven't tried any of these products before! 

I love the benefit mascara! It might just be my new go to brand! I like how fats drying the China Glaze polish is, but I don't think the sparkles are for me. The lotion has a wonderful scent and absorbs nicely. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the perfume, right now I'm addicted to Lancome's La vie est belle and nothing can quite compare! I am really impressed with this subscription service so far and think it's great value for what you pay! I can't wait for next month's box!

November Julep Maven Box!

My November Julep Maven Box came last week!

If you haven't signed up for Julep yet, use the code PENNY to get your Intro Package for $0.01 when you become a Julep Maven today! There are no catches, so no need to be skeptical! You can cancel after you receive your intro box, but most people fall in love with the products and continue with the subscription! I had intended to cancel, but am now hooked!

This month focused on their suede collection and I decided to try out the American Beauty style. This month, the colours are matte metallics. This month the box also came with pink grapefruit body frosting and 3 one step polish remover pads.

So far, I've tried everything except the polish remover pads. I am in love with the body frosting! When I first saw that it was grapefruit scented, I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, but it smells so good! The consistency of the cream is amazing, it really is think like frosting (in a good way though!) A little soaks into my skin easily. I have very sensitive skin and this cream didn't irritate it at all! The two polishes I received are Amber and Brit. They dry amazingly fast, but don't wear well at all. These polish chip very easily. I really like the look of them, but Amber left my nails looking really yellow and gross when I removed what was left of it.

Overall, I enjoyed the contents of this month's box, but am not thrilled with the Amber colour because of the yellow tinge it leaves behind. I'm excited to see what they have in store for us over the holidays!